Key Takeaways
- Medigap plans, administered by private insurance companies, help cover out-of-pocket healthcare costs associated with Original Medicare (parts A and B), such as deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments.
- Medigap plan costs vary based on the plan type, location, and insurance company offering the plan. The primary expense is monthly premiums.
- Enrolling in a Medigap plan when you turn age 65 and enroll in Medicare Part B is crucial, as enrolling later may limit your plan choices or increase costs.
Private insurance companies administer Medigap plans, which help pay for some healthcare costs not covered by Original Medicare (parts A and B).
Some examples of the costs that Medigap may cover include:
- deductibles
- coinsurance
- copays
- excess costs
- emergency healthcare costs during foreign travel
- blood benefit (first three pints)
The best time to enroll in a Medigap plan is during your Medigap open enrollment period. This period runs for 6 months and begins when you turn age 65 and enroll in Part B.
Enrolling outside of this time can mean higher premiums, and in some cases, you may be ineligible for a Medigap plan altogether.
Here are some of the factors that influence Medicare supplement insurance costs.
Monthly premiums
Medigap plan benefits are standardized across the United States, with the exception of Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, where Medigap plans are standardized differently.
The only variable factor with a Medigap plan is the monthly premium. The exact monthly premium amount can vary by individual plan, and insurers can set monthly premiums in three different ways:
- Community rated: Everyone who buys the plan pays the same monthly premium regardless of age.
- Issue-age rated: Monthly premiums are tied to the age at which you first purchase a plan, with younger buyers having lower premiums. Premiums don’t increase as you get older.
- Attained-age rated: Monthly premiums are tied to your current age, and your premium will increase as you get older.
If you’d like to enroll in a Medigap plan, it’s important to compare multiple options in your area. This can help you determine how premiums are set and how much you can expect to pay monthly.
The Medigap monthly premium is paid in addition to other monthly premiums associated with Medicare. These can include premiums for:
- Part A (inpatient hospital insurance), if applicable
- Part B (outpatient medical insurance)
- Part D prescription drug plans
Deductibles
For the most part, Medigap plans do not have a deductible. However, if your Medigap plan doesn’t cover the Part A or Part B deductible, you’re still responsible for paying those before the plans pay its share of costs.
Medigap Plan F and Plan G do have high deductible options. The monthly premiums for these plans are typically lower, but you’ll have to pay a higher deductible before the plans cover their share of costs.
The 2025 Plan F and Plan G deductible is $2,870. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has yet to announce the 2026 deductible, but it may increase.
It’s important to note that Plan F is not available if you turned 65 on or after January 1, 2020.
Coinsurance and copays
Like deductibles, Medigap plans themselves do not have coinsurance or copays.
You may still have to pay certain coinsurance or copays associated with Original Medicare if your Medigap policy doesn’t cover them.
Out-of-pocket limit
Medigap Plan K and Plan L have out-of-pocket limits, which are the maximum amounts you’ll have to pay out of pocket.
In 2025, the Plan K and Plan L out-of-pocket limits are $7,220 and $3,610, respectively. After you meet the limit, the plan pays 100% of the cost of covered services for the rest of the year.
The CMS has yet to announce whether these limits will increase in 2026.
Out-of-pocket costs
The only specific health benefits that Medigap plans cover are blood benefits and foreign travel emergency benefits.
All other Medigap plan benefits relate to Original Medicare’s out-of-pocket costs.
The following table shows a cost comparison of monthly premiums for the different Medigap plans in four sample cities across the United States in 2026:
| Washington, D.C. | Des Moines, IA | Aurora, CO | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan A | $100 to $3,284 | $96 to $812 | $105 to $1,006 | $111 to $772 |
| Plan B | $136 to $907 | $140 to $616 | $181 to $635 | $184 to $563 |
| Plan C | $166 to $691 | $166 to $850 | $176 to $1,169 | $210 to $690 |
| Plan D | $125 to $488 | $151 to $817 | $168 to $873 | $161 to $586 |
| Plan F | $167 to $1,040 | $132 to $884 | $151 to $1,181 | $165 to $1,296 |
| Plan F (high deductible) | $34 to $227 | $33 to $338 | $35 to $234 | $32 to $297 |
| Plan G | $124 to $802 | $116 to $794 | $128 to $1,179 | $157 to $1,151 |
| Plan G (high deductible) | $24 to $275 | $33 to $286 | $35 to $323 | $35 to $242 |
| Plan K | $56 to $300 | $51 to $325 | $62 to $247 | $68 to $282 |
| Plan L | $93 to $646 | $100 to $462 | $118 to $421 | $103 to $410 |
| Plan M | $129 to $798 | $81 to $334 | $146 to $451 | plan unavailable |
| Plan N | $95 to $710 | $83 to $586 | $93 to $698 | $120 to $883 |
The prices shown above are based on ZIP code search parameters only.
To find prices specific to your circumstances, enter your ZIP code, age, tobacco use, and whether you get any household discount (such as a spouse or roommate discount) into Medicare’s Medigap plan finder tool.
Medigap plans are Medicare supplemental insurance plans that you can purchase to help cover some of the out-of-pocket costs associated with Original Medicare. There are 10 different types of Medigap plans, and each has standardized benefits.
The cost of a Medigap plan depends on the plan you choose, where you live, and the insurer from which you purchase your plan.
Enrolling during your Medigap open enrollment period is important to avoid higher premiums or being denied coverage.